


Drabbles from Blackwatch Intel

by The_Eldritch_IT_Gay



Series: Life of a Ghost [11]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Backstory, Bonding, Comfort, Disabled Character of Color, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Injury, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Physical Disability, Physical Therapy, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sign Language, Snark, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2018-10-23 23:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10729494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Eldritch_IT_Gay/pseuds/The_Eldritch_IT_Gay
Summary: A collection of drabbles/short fics revolving around Malik Ramos and his life in Blackwatch. Life never gets boring when you work for top secret black ops organization, sometimes missions are the least of it.





	1. First Impressions

He didn’t pay any mind when the man first walked into the medbay lobby, he was just some obviously disabled dark-skinned man with a cane that Genji assumed must be there to see a doctor. Sighing, he looked away again, he was waiting for whatever stupid agent Reyes decided to assign to escort him around today. He heard that his escort was some agent, some higher up in Blackwatch’s intel, been with Blackwatch a decade or so. It was  _ stupid _ , he didn’t need to be lead around like a  _ child _ , the only reason they insisted on it was because he was a valuable test subject. A glorified lab rat, really. He was pulled from his thoughts when a sudden pain radiated from his leg and he saw the dark skinned man had just hit Genji’s calf with his cane. When he looked up at the man, he took in his features for the first time. The man didn’t look much older than himself, in his mid-twenties maybe. He was wearing a simple red tank top that didn’t hide a large disfiguring burn creeping up their chest and neck, nor did it hide an intricate tattoo on their left bicep. His dark afro tied back in a ponytail, dark brown freckled skin, prominent cheekbones, golden eyes, glasses, a short beard, and more notably, a shit eating grin. 

“C’mon,” The man said cheerfully, in a thick accent, “Unless you wanted to hang around here all day and sulk. I mean, that would make my job easier, but I’m sure Gabí would kick my ass.”

It took Genji a moment to realize that the man was referring to Commander Reyes, right after that realization he was struck with another one. It seemed this was the veteran Blackwatch agent Reyes had assigned to escort him back. 

“You’re with Blackwatch?” He scoffed incredulously, the man looked nothing like the Blackwatch agents he had met, “You’re-”

He was cut off when the man stepped on his foot with his cane again. The man smiled, tilting his head to the side slightly at Genji’s small yelp

“I’m Malik Ramos,” He supplied helpfully, knowing very well that’s not what Genji was going to say, “And I’m supposed to take you back over to R&D.”

Sighing, Genji stood up, begrudgingly following Malik was he limped out of the medbay and back over to Blackwatch’s building. Despite the other man’s gait, he managed to stay ahead of Genji by a few paces. So this was the co-head of Blackwatch’s intel, Genji wasn’t sure what he had expected, but Malik wasn’t it. For one thing, he expected him to be older- Kallista had been older, in her early thirties or something, and she had joined Blackwatch years after Malik had. He also expected the agent to be a bit more _formal_ , Malik wasn't wearing the typical uniform and was acting far too casual for a black ops agent. Hell, he had referred to Commander Reyes as 'Gabí', like he had been talking about his best friend, not his commanding officer. There was no way this man went on Blackwatch missions, it was not _possible_. Malik was so absolutely different that the others in Blackwatch, that Genji almost started to doubt that this was his escort. But as he walked behind Malik, he recognized that they were going the right way. Letting out an annoyed huff, Genji sped up a bit so he wasn’t so far behind. He took the time as they walked to truly look at the man.

The first thing Genji noticed as he walked behind the man- Malik- was the tattoos that he could see on his spine and shoulder blades, mainly covered up by his shirt, but he could still recognize it as the same intricate language of the tattoo on their bicep. The tattoo on his spine didn’t fully cover up the raised scar along their spine that disappeared under his hair, surgical, Genji could tell from the neatness of the scar. Battle scars littered their skin, which surprised him, the scars seemed to align with the story that Malik was a veteran Blackwatch agent. Genji also found himself looking at all the external signs of his disabilities. The man’s leg, and how his right leg moved stiffly and unevenly- he couldn’t actually see his leg because of the loose pants Malik wore that were tied around the ankle. Not even an inch of skin on their legs was visible, and idly, Genji wondered if his legs were prosthetic. Malik’s left hand and wrist that had some sort of brace or exoskeleton on it, and he could see that arm was heavily scarred on one side, and he could see some wasting muscle peeking out from under the brace. Not only that, he now noticed Malik had two of those hearing implants he had seen before on people who were deaf. At the back of his mind, he wondered how the hell someone disabled like this guy had been in Blackwatch for so long and actually held a position. Suddenly, Malik looked over his shoulder at Genji, looking amused and wearing the same shit eating grin.

“Y’know, my dude, you are missing most of your body. So, just maybe take that into account before saying anything about my disabled ass,” He commented, before adding, “Besides how great it looks.”

Genji stopped walking for a moment, glad his face was covered because he was sure it would give away his feeling of shame at being called out by Malik. He opened his mouth to deny it or deliver some excuse, but he found none. Scowling, he jogged over to catch up with Malik’s pace, falling into silence as he followed the man.


	2. Physical Therapy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji wasn’t exactly thrilled at the concept of any physical therapy, if anything, he just wanted to be done with it and get onto regular training. He had already gone through extensive PT to adjust to his new body, he had thought he was going to actually start training finally, but now he was being pushed into another PT program. Dr. Ziegler had tried to pitch it as less of a physical therapy program and more of a modified training program for him to do before actual Blackwatch training. It didn’t matter how Ziegler pitched it, he still wasn’t happy about it one bit, but he begrudgingly agreed to do it. Which is why he now sat silently in the training room, waiting for the physical therapist to show up.

Genji wasn’t exactly thrilled at the concept of any physical therapy, if anything, he just wanted to be done with it and get onto regular training. He had already gone through extensive PT to adjust to his new body, he had thought he was going to actually start training finally, but now he was being pushed into another PT program. Dr. Ziegler had tried to pitch it as less of a physical therapy program and more of a modified training program for him to do before actual Blackwatch training. It didn’t matter how Ziegler pitched it, he still wasn’t happy about it one bit, but he begrudgingly agreed to do it. Which is why he now sat silently in the training room, waiting for the physical therapist to show up. 

He had shown up on time, despite being so reluctant to come, however, no one else was in the room when he did show up. Watching the clock idly, he watched as the minute hand slowly crept past 6. 6:01. 6:02. 6:03. Genji was starting to doubt his decision to show up here, since apparently, not even the instructor wanted to show up. 

It was 6:05 when the door finally opened, and Genji raised his eyebrows as a solidly built man limped into the room supported by a cane. Malik, Genji recognized, it was hard not to recognize him when he had such a distinct look- dark freckled skin, glasses, a trimmed beard, high cheekbones, a thick afro tied back in a ponytail, almost golden eyes. He was wearing something closer to the typical training clothes now, still far from uniform though. Malik paid Genji hardly any attention while he unsteadily made his way over to one of the low padded tables and plopped down with a sigh. Wincing slightly, Malik rubbed his knees and flexed his ankles- which made an almost alarmingly loud cracking noise. Genji watched him in silence for a few moments, waiting for the other to speak first, before he finally addressed the man. 

“Are you my physical therapist as well?” He asked tiredly, unable to hide the mild irritation in his voice. 

Malik’s golden eyes flicked over to look at Genji, a slight grin playing on his lips. God, Genji hated it, the way he always seemed so amused and unfazed by whatever Genji did. Completely unaffected by the anger rolling off him and how unapproachable people thought he was. 

“Nah man, Matthieu is the therapist,” He shrugged, “I’m here for PT as well, I thought you would have come to that conclusion already, since I’m, y’know,  _ disabled _ .”

He emphasized the last word, and Genji wondered for a moment if Malik would eventually let go of what he had almost said earlier, the way he had doubted how Malik could be in Blackwatch because he was disabled. While Malik didn’t seem the type to hold grudges, he couldn’t help but doubt that as he felt the shame from earlier coming back at Malik’s words.  

“Well, do you know where Matthieu is then?” Genji tried politely, coming out more strained that he would have liked.

“He’ll be here in a few, got caught up with another patient. He’s usually a bit late, so get used to it.”

Nodding Genji lapsed into silence again, he pointedly avoiding Malik's eyes, despite how he could feel his eyes on him. People usually stared at him, but this felt somewhat different, it was more unnerving. From what he could see out of the corner of his eye, the expression Malik's face wasn't some fascination or disgust. He chanced a small glance at Malik and managed to pick up that if anything, Malik looked like he was analyzing him, reading him, and Genji was suddenly reminded of Malik's job. Hacker, Intelligence Analyst with a knack for psychology. Malik's gaze was now more unsettling than it had been, especially when he could see an amused smile on Malik's face.

“I’m not mad at you for thinking I’m a cripple,” Malik said suddenly, almost startling Genji.

“What-” He started, far too defensive, but Malik cut him off.

“You think I’m mad at you because of what you said, or almost said, I’m not,” Malik repeated, looking over at Genji, “Your words didn’t bother me much. Like, as I said, I am kinda what the doctors call ‘disabled as fuck’.”

Genji couldn’t help a small laugh at his words, his reaction apparently delighting Malik. He opened his mouth to speak again, a question at the tip of his tongue, but he quickly shut his mouth. It apparently didn’t matter that his face was mostly covered, Malik could tell that he was going to say something. Raising his eyebrows, he looked over at Genji expectantly. Sighing, he gave in.

“What... happened?”

It sounded vague, but it was obvious what he meant. Malik's cane, the exoskeleton on his hand. Chuckling, Malik leaned back, twirling their cane idly. It took the man a minute to formulate an answer.

“Do you want the whole story about all of my disabilities? The injuries? The conditions? Is there a specific part you're asking about? Or just a quick summary of everything? I'm assuming you don't just want me to read off my medical file...” 

It sounded like he had said that often, and Genji didn't doubt that Malik was asked about his disabilities a lot. Looking at Genji expectantly, Malik waiting for an answer. and after a moment of thinking, Genji replied.

“A summary, I guess?" He said hesitantly. He hadn't expected it to be so complex, nor had he even considered that they might have some sort of illness, not an injury.

“I was born crippled,” Malik started, without preamble, and inadvertently answering Genji's question, “I won’t bother you with all the diagnoses, but the doctors said I would likely never walk, and because where I lived had limited access to medicine, they expected me to die very young. Medicine wouldn't do much anyways, all incurable. As it turns out being deaf is the most 'curable' part of it. Anyways, around the middle of the omnic crisis, a Bastion unit took out my right hip, almost died of an infection, I lived, obviously, but the damage was already done and it took a year or so for me to even manage to limp around with a crutch. When I was about 12 I got caught in some crossfire during a fight and ended up with irreparable nerve damage in my left hand. 19, I was shot and beaten and drugged by my father during a mission- swell guy don't you think?- I barely survived, pretty sure I was dead for a while there. That left me paralyzed from the chest down for a while, in a wheelchair for a bit over a year. The paralysis was temporary and somewhat easy to fix. Other than being shot a bunch, my main disability is the chronic degenerative illnesses. Ah, and chronic incurable pain.”

He seemed unbothered talking about it like he was talking about the weather, not the physical trauma he’s been through and permanent disabilities. 

“How are you in Blackwatch then?”

He blurts it out without thinking, and before he can regret it, he sees Malik smile.

“Regular medical treatment, an exoskeleton Torb designed for me to wear on missions, physical therapy, meditation, prayer.”

“And that  _ works _ ?” 

“I’ve been a Blackwatch agent here for a decade, so I mean, I don’t know what your bar for success is but,” He makes a vague gesture with his hands, “Success is objective. I don't need to be able bodied or cured to kick ass, thank you very much. Also if you're questioning my faith I will _politely_ ask you not to.”

The last part of that sentence had an edge to it that made Genji bite back his comment. Instead, he stayed silent mulling over their words. Malik didn’t seem to mind his silence, as after a while he pulled out his phone and some sort of earphones that hooked behind his ear next to his cochlear implant. He only put one in, and Genji could faintly hear music start to play. 

It must have been a few minutes later the Malik made a small noise as they looked at their phone. Genji raised his eyebrows as he watched them stretch slightly before standing up with a small groan. Halfway to the door, Malik turned back to Genji, leaning on their cane as they pocketed their phone. 

“Matthieu’s not coming, according to André,”

That was far from bad news, honestly, Genji would be glad if he could skip this stupid PT session. But he didn't know if Malik was being honest or not

“Why- who’s André? Why isn’t Matthieu coming?”

“Friend of mine. Nurse. Generally a chill guy, you'd recognize him, he works ICU. I would tell you why Mattieu isn't coming but it seems rude to gossip, lying is wrong, I have morals, y’know,”

He didn't sound sarcastic when he said it, and Genji wondered if he was being serious or Joking. Nothing about Malik gave off the idea that he followed the rules or respected privacy. Especially the things he’s overheard about the man’s hacking skills. And what he overhead when he walked by Malik being lectured by the second in command.

“I doubt that,” Genji said flatly, and Malik grinned, confirming that he had been joking.

Muttering to himself, Genji stood up. At least now he would have the night to himself, instead of spending more time in the medbay.

“So do you wanna go out?” Malik asked, stopping him before he could leave.

“On a date?” 

He knew from Jesse that Malik was a huge flirt and tended to sleep around, but somehow Genji still doubted Malik would be flirting with  _him._

Grinning, Malik snorted slightly, rolling his eyes. 

“I meant more like ‘hey wanna break the rules, go out on the town, and hopefully not get arrested somehow because Gabí definitely won’t pay for my bail this time’.”

Genji paused for a moment, processing what the man had just said.

“... Are you implying that you’ve been arrested before and Reyes had to bail you out?”

Malik looked positively delighted, “Oh it’s a great story, Ana thought it was hysterical, Gabí and Lyuda less so. I was on desk duty for like, 2 weeks cause of it. I’ll tell you if you wanna come with.”

Genji hesitated, immediately glancing at his mostly metallic body. He hadn’t gone out in public much at all since he got this new body. Even just around the Overwatch and Blackwatch buildings, his cybernetics attracted too many eyes. 

“Won’t they stare?” He muttered quietly, not intending for Malik to hear.

He must have misjudged Malik's hearing, because Malik replied. 

“At the large tattooed Afro-Tibetan cripple with inhuman eyes? I mean, yeah,” He said with a shrug, “So you wanna come or nah? You can borrow some of my clothes if you want.”

Genji let out a small laugh, the faintest smile playing his lips. 

“Yeah, sure,”


	3. Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small drabble from before Mikky and Malik realized they were gay for each other óvò

In hindsight, Mikael couldn’t tell when it started. After what happened with their father, Malik had almost always snuck into his room at night- the nights where the nightmares wouldn’t leave them alone. They would curl up in his bed, trying to steady their shaking hands and be quiet with their tears so they wouldn’t wake him up. Mikael didn’t mind, didn’t make them talk about what happened, didn’t turn them away. If anything, he felt a  _ relieved  _ when they did, relieved to have them close, to know they’re still living and breathing. He would be lying if he didn’t have some nightmares himself about what happened, reliving the gut-wrenching feeling he had when he heard what had happened.  _ He had almost lost Malik _ . And he didn’t want to think of what would've happened if he had lost them. Didn’t like remembering the tension and anxiety that plagued him while he watched over their unconscious form in the hospital.

So every time he awoke to them crawling into bed next to them, he would let them curl up next to him, sometimes gently combing his fingers through their hair to sooth their silent cries. Being able to reach out and touch them felt so cathartic, it was a physical reminder that Malik was okay, that he didn’t lose them. Sometimes when morning came they were both tangled in each other’s arms, other times he woke up and Malik was already gone. Neither of them said anything about the mornings they would wake up in each other’s arms, Malik never seemed bothered by it- at the most, he could see their dark skin flush ever so slightly when it happened. At some point, Mikael was sure he was purposely wrapping his arms around them and pulling them close, and would sometimes notice Malik doing the same when they thought he was asleep. It had become almost routine for them, falling asleep in their separate rooms and waking up in the same bed. And at some point, Malik stopped falling asleep in their own bed, and would instead, some nights, just go to Mikael’s room to sleep. They even kept a few pieces of clothing in his room, for when they were too tired to be bothered to go to their room to change into their sleepwear.

A few times Mikael would go away on missions, and when he came back at night, he found Malik fast asleep in his bed. Not that Mikael minded in the slightest, he actually found himself smiling when it happened, appreciating how peaceful and cute Malik looked. Hair messy and out of its binder, glasses off, eyes closed, breathing slowly and evenly, half under the covers. 

This time wasn’t any different. Coming back from a mission late at night, Mikael smiled when he saw Malik already asleep in his bed. Even though it was dark, Mikael knew where Malik’s things would be- where they dropped their clothes, where their cane was propped up. He quietly changed into sleepwear before he walked over and sat on the edge of his bed next to Malik, gently brushing the hair out of their eyes. Malik stirred slightly, making a tired noise as they leaned into his hand. 

“Αγάπη μου…” Mikael murmured affectionately, the endearment slipping out without him noticing. 

Malik didn’t respond at first, and Mikael realized- stupidly- that Malik wasn’t wearing their cochlear implants. Chuckling to himself, he spotted them on the bedside table and carefully grabbed one, pressing it into Malik’s hand. Malik seemed too tired to open their eyes, and Mikael wasn’t confident enough in sign language yet to manage to talk to them in sign. It took a moment for Malik to get the memo, but they sleepily fumbled with the implant as they hooked it around their ear, the coil snapping into place on the side of their head.

“Mikky?” They yawned, eyes barely fluttering open.

“Yes,” Mikael smiled, gently carding his fingers through their curls, which earned an appreciative noise from Malik. 

After a few moments, Malik tugged on his arm impatiently, trying to pull him into bed. Letting out a small laugh, Mikael slid into bed next to them as Malik scooted back to give him space. As soon as he settled under the covers, Malik was wrapping an arm around him and using his shoulder as a pillow. 

“Missed you,” They murmured quietly as they nuzzled into him slightly. 

Mikael couldn’t help but smile as his fatigue washed over him, letting out a small content sigh at the warmth Malik provided and the way it slowly lulled him to sleep. 


	4. Check Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by [Ch. 10 of Bastet](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8028349/chapters/24922257)

“Deep breaths,” Jin instructed.

Nodding tiredly, Malik complied, trying to ignore the slight pain with each breath. They knew Kallista had meant well by forcing them to see a doctor, but for the moment, Malik was cursing her silently. Reyes had wanted them to get checked out, which Malik had promised they would do, but Kalli was the one who wouldn’t let them avoid it. Get cleared by a doctor, or be on desk duty. It still felt weird now having Kallista is a position above them, and maybe the lingering bitterness of her promotion that made them tense as Jin examined them.

“Malik, relax, okay?”Jin murmured, pulling them from their thoughts. 

“Mhmm…” They said, attempting to relax.

It was quiet as he listened to their breathing, but Malik couldn’t help but feel anxious. They hated being in the medbay, how clinical everything was, how almost dehumanizing it felt being examined like some sort of specimen. It was too close to Apotheoun, to Talon. They hadn’t realized they had clenched their fists until they felt one of Jian’s hands gently squeezing theirs, coaxing them to relax. 

“It’s okay, mi princípe estrella. Deep breaths.”

Malik couldn’t help but feel their cheeks heat up slightly at both the nickname and gentle touch.

“I’m trying,” They muttered, trying again to breathe deeply and ignore the anxiety and sharp pains.

They only managed a few deep breaths before a stabbing pain shot through them again, their grip on his fingers tightening hard enough to make Jin flinch slightly. Cursing under their breath, Malik started to apologize but Jin quickly waved it off. 

“You’re not taking your meds,” Jin commented as he wrapped the stethoscope back around his neck.

“...You can tell?” Malik asked, pointedly avoiding his eyes.

“Temperature is raised, joints are swollen, pain while breathing, luckily your heart seems normal and there’s no fluid build up, but…” He trailed off with a sigh, looking at Malik, “Mali, you need to take care of yourself.”

“I know, I know. It wasn’t… It wasn’t on purpose. I just. Forgot, you know? I’ve had a lot going on, lots of work to do-”

“Your work won’t get done if you’re too preoccupied with pain or headaches or trouble breathing. If you stop taking your meds, things will just get harder and lead to,” He carefully took their left hand, running his thumb over the atrophied muscle of their palm, “Missing physical therapy, which will only set back the progress you’ve made.”

“I’m trying,” Malik shrugged half-heartedly. 

“I know, Mali, and I know it’s hard to manage all of this all the time on top of your work. Sometimes you fall into these states where you aren’t taking care of yourself like you should be. But,” He sighed, carefully lacing his fingers with theirs, “If this keeps happening, you’re running the risk of something irreversible. Or needed to do some chemo again if you let it get too bad, and you don’t get to keep avoiding the medbay if that happens.”

Nodding silently, Malik looked down, trying to ignore the feeling of Jin’s eyes on them. 

“I’ll do my best, Jian, I promise, okay? Just,” Malik sighed, finally looking up at him, “Please clear me.”

“Mali-”

“ _ Please _ , they’ll know something’s up if I don’t get cleared, I swear I’ll do my best to take my meds and do PT.  _ Please _ .”

They hated how desperate they sounded, how pathetic they sounded, the slight crack in their voice and the clear panic. It was stupid, the lengths they went to hide their ill health, but they couldn’t risk anyone knowing. Couldn’t risk people thinking they were unfit for their job.  

Jin sighed.

“I can’t keep doing this, Malik… It isn’t your job that I’m worried about, I’m worried about  _ you _ . I-”

“Having headaches and slightly raised body temp doesn’t warrant sidelining me.”

“But-”

“ _ Please.  _ The second my health gets bad I’ll come to the medbay and you don’t have to clear me. What do I need to do? I’ll do whatever it takes for you to clear me this time, I swear to  _ Buddha _ .”

Tears were welling up in the corner of their eyes and they had to fight to keep from crying. They couldn’t handle eye contact anymore, quickly ducking their head in attempt to hide their face and their emotions. After a moment they felt Jin softly cup their cheek, brushing away a tear. 

“Stay overnight for observation.”

Malik immediately tensed, anxiety rising.

“No-”

“Hey, hey,” He found their hand again, “I’m on call all night anyways, I can stay with you a while unless I get called away- then I’m sure I can find André to hang out with you. I just want to get an IV in you and make sure you’re stable, then I can clear you, okay? The only people who’ll know are the medics and Gabí, no one else needs to know. Just stay here in medbay tonight for observation.”

Malik grimaced, but eventually nodded. Smiling, Jin squeezed their hand gently, pressing a quick kiss to the top of their head.

“Thank you.”


	5. Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some character interaction with Lyuda and Malik óvò

Malik winced as he stepped off the transport. The mission had been a success, which was good, but as always, he had managed to fuck something up. It was hard for him to assess the damage since he couldn’t see the wound, but it was hurting like a bitch as he made his way into the building, every movement of his shoulder sending another wave of pain through him. He glanced in the direction of the medbay for a moment, hesitating. A few other agents had minor injuries they were going to get checked out, Malik knew he should go as well, but…

No. He’d just make himself scarce. He didn’t need to give everyone another reminder that he’s unfit for the job. There were sufficient first aid supplies in his room, collected after countless times like these. 

_ I just need to get to my room,  _ he told himself,  _ I can patch myself up there.  _

First, though, he had to drop off his equipment and exoskeleton. Not wanting to interact with anyone and consequently sore after exerting himself, he didn’t rush to the lockers, hoping to wait until most people finished dropping off their gear. The exoskeleton helped immensely, letting him move with minimal effort, but it didn’t take away the pain that radiated from their shoulder and the way their joints and muscles screamed in protest. Luckily enough, by the time he had slowly made his way to the lockers to drop off his gear, the room was empty. Letting out a sigh of relief, he limped over to his locker, leaning his cane up against the metal as he punched in the code. 

Malik always thought there was something satisfying about stripping his gear off after missions, about the literal and metaphorical weight that was lifted off his shoulders when he did. This time, however, he instantly regretted everything the second he hit the release on his exoskeleton. Pain shot through his shoulder, his hand flying to grab his cane and hold it tightly to keep himself upright. He could definitely feel some blood dripping down his back now and he muttered a curse to himself as he stepped out of the exoskeleton and focused on putting it away. It seemed to take an excruciating amount of time to pull off all his gear, by the time he was down to his tank top and pants, some of the blood dripping down his back was already dried. 

“Ramos,”

He jumped slightly, turning to find Lyudmila standing in the doorway, her face impassive as always.

“Yeah?” He asked, fatigue clear in his voice.

“Medbay. And don’t think about saying you’re fine, you’ve bled through your shirt.”

Malik’s shoulders fell, sending another bolt of pain through him as he let out a pained sigh. Leaning against the lockers, he closed his eyes, grip on his cane tightening slightly. He had been hoping to avoid this, and Lyuda specifically. She was almost always the one who made him go to the medbay whenever he got injured on missions, even for something as simple as just needing to get patched up. Sure, Malik was more prone to injury than most others, but most of his injuries didn’t go past a few cuts or bruises, sometimes a minor dislocation. In Malik’s opinion, anything less than a broken bone or gunshot wound didn’t necessitate going to the medbay. 

“I really don’t need to go to the medbay,” He started, trying to ignore the feeling of Lyuda’s glare, “I can patch myself up.”

“Your stitches look atrocious in places you can easily reach, I don’t want to see what they look like in a more difficult place.”

Malik could give her that, honestly. He wasn’t great at giving himself stitches, when it came down to it he could give functional albeit ugly stitches on others, but not himself. At some point, he thought half the time Lyuda was so insistent on him going to the medbay because of his stitch work.

“In my defense, I do have major nerve damage in my dominant hand, stitches are difficult.” He offered weakly. 

“All the more reason to go to the medbay.”

Sighing, Malik tried to find some reason or excuse to not go to the medbay. Lyuda had always been good at calling bs on his excuses, and he appreciated that usually. Now, however, he felt like he was being backed into a corner and he could feel his anxiety start to rise. 

“I’ll go in a bit, just gonna put all my stuff away.”

Lyuda looked at him critically and Malik sighed. She wasn’t going to let him avoid the medbay. Muttering a curse under his breath, he closed his locker and nodded tiredly.

“Alright."

“C’mon then,” Lyuda said, pushing off the door frame and waiting for Malik to catch up before walking with him to the medbay. 

It took slightly longer than usual to get to the medbay, with Malik wincing every time he moved his shoulder, forced to use his right hand for his cane. Lyuda didn’t seem to mind the slow pace, making sure not to get ahead of them and periodically keeping Malik from tripping. Despite the pain, the quiet as they slowly made their way to the medbay was almost relaxing, Malik’s anxiety calming slightly. Once they arrived at the medbay though, a medic was immediately guiding him to a bed and asking them questions. His anxiety was back in an instant as he tensed, struggling to focus on the medics words as they felt overwhelmed. 

In the back of his mind, he heard Lyuda say something. A few seconds later the hands on him retreated and Malik let out a deep breath out of relief. Two pills were carefully pushed into their hand along with a small paper cup of water; Instinctively, Malik popped the pills into their mouth and downed the water. It didn't take long for the meds to kick in as their breathing started to regulate again, muscles relaxed and eyes lidded. 

When he finally regained his senses, he noticed an IV in his arm that he didn’t remember being placed. Curiously they lifted their arm, looking at the IV connected to a saline drip, absentmindedly running their finger across the tape keeping the needle in place.

“They wanted to keep you hydrated since you lost some blood,” said Lyuda who was sitting in a chair nearby, looking up from her phone, “Don’t think about taking it out, by the way.”

Malik bit his tongue to hold back from saying something about how Lyuda probably has better things to do than sit in the medbay with him. She had brought him to the medbay countless times, and almost every time, she hung around for a little. Malik had never asked her to stay, but he sure as hell didn’t want to be alone. And out of everyone in Blackwatch, he felt she understood the lingering effects of trauma the most. 

“Thanks…” Malik said after a moment.

Lyuda made a small hum in acknowledgment. 

“You should talk with Lindholm or Spiros about upgrading the armor on your exoskeleton, or try to at least get injured less, you’re too reckless.” Lyuda pointed out, staring at Malik before nodding at his shoulder, “You got cut between the plating in the shoulders, not too deep, they don’t think it hit bone.”

“I was gonna see Mikky for some maintenance soon anyways. And I’m not trying to be reckless I just-”

“You are being reckless though. Just because you don’t care if you get injured or not doesn’t mean you should run into the line of fire. Lots of people actually do care if you get injured or killed. Just. Don’t die stupidly. I can’t always cover you.” 

Malik was quiet for a moment, mulling over Lyuda’s words. 

“I’ll do my best.” He offered tiredly. 

He couldn’t promise that, as much as he wished he could. But after everything Lyuda did for them, he had to try. It was the most he could do.


	6. Moira

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Super small drabble following the release of Moira's lore.

“Excuse me, Mr. Ramos, I hope I’m not bothering you.” 

Malik sighed, looking up from his holographic screens over to the woman pulling back the thin privacy curtain.

“I know I’m supposed to be on bed rest-” Malik started, but Moira interrupted him. 

“No, no, don’t worry about that,” She smiled as she stepped into medbay room, “I can’t blame you for working, you do seem to have a lot on your plate.”

Malik eyed Moira warily, and with an almost imperceptible flick of his wrist, he changed the language of his screens. Despite her seemingly friendly demeanor, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy. If Moira noticed, she didn’t say anything.

“What did you want, then,” Malik asked flatly.

“I’m Dr. Moira O’Deorain-”

“I know,” 

Moira smiled, sitting on the edge of Malik’s hospital bed. 

“Of course, of course, I’m sure being in intel would mean you already know who I am,” She said, folding her hands in her lap, “I’m sorry to hear you were injured in the field again.”

Malik rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

“Being a geneticist, I’ve been looking into… improving… Blackwatch agents with genetic enhancements. Since you were in the medbay, I thought I might look at your medical records and see if you might work as a subject. And well… I couldn’t help but notice most of your medical files are strictly classified.”

“Yes, yes they are.”

“I was wondering why that might be? It’s a bit strange, I thought, you’re one of the only ones with highly classified medical files.”

“I don’t decide what’s classified and what’s not. I’m not sure what you want from me.”

“You could give me access-”

“Why would I do that? If you want to see them so badly, ask Reyes and submit a formal request for access.”

“If I could see your full medical record, I could see if you could be a test subject, I could help you.” 

“What do I need help with? I seem to be doing well for myself, all things considered.”

“Perhaps the same reason you’ve received chemotherapy in the past, or the routine injections you receive, or the multiple surgeries you’ve undergone, or the reason you need a cane or wheelchair to get around, and a state-of-the-art exoskeleton just to keep up with your peers.”

Malik tensed, purposely avoiding her eyes and staying silent.

“It hardly seems fair that such a talented and invaluable asset to the organization is at such a disadvantage. You hold seniority over everyone in your department, but you’re still not the leader because of things out of your control. I just want to help.”

“I’ve heard that before…” Malik muttered, finally meeting Moira’s eyes, “I don’t know what your end goal is, but I suggest you take a step back, because you sound a lot like the enemy right now.”


	7. Sinking Ship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set around late 2067, probably, because time isn't real and I can bullshit my way around it. 
> 
> Lots of angst and tension between Reyes and Malik.

' _I don’t trust her, Gabí,_ ' Malik signed with a small huff, wheelchair parked next to Reyes as they stood by the transport pad.

It was reminiscent of countless times they had talked like this before- Malik had never hesitated in telling Reyes anything. He was bluntly honest, had no problem telling Reyes his opinion even though Reyes was his commanding officer. Maybe because their relationship had always been more than just an adversary one. Malik was like a son to Reyes, like Jesse. Ever since Malik had joined as a teenager, Reyes couldn’t help but feel protective of him.

But things were different now. Malik wasn’t a kid anymore. He was a father. His face was hardened, eyes narrowed behind glasses as he looked out at the sun rising on the horizon. The stress of the past decade was showing through the accumulating scars and stray grey hairs creeping into his beard and temples, the bags under his eyes.

“You’ve said that about nearly everyone who’s joined in the past decade,” Reyes signed back after putting his coffee down.

It was habit by now, replying in sign language. There wasn’t any reason to break the silence.

Malik shook his head, and Reyes swore he heard him mutter ‘ _ hyperbole’  _ under his breath as he took a sip of his drink.

' _I’m not talking about my trust issues or PTSD, I figured you wanted my professional opinion, so I opted to skip over my neuroses and get straight to my opinion as your senior intelligence agent with countless years of firsthand experience observing criminal and terrorist behavior_.'

Reyes wished he had an argument, one he knew Malik wouldn’t be able to immediately call bs on, but he couldn’t think of one. 

“Malik-”

_'No. Don’t. I don’t need excuses or whatever. You don’t need to listen to me. I just could not, in good conscience, let you go on without my professional analysis. You can’t tell me I didn’t warn you if things go bad- and they will._ '

Sighing, Reyes took a long sip of his coffee, watching as the sun slowly crept higher on the horizon. 

' _You know I’m right_ ,' Malik continued, ' _Things have been going downhill for a while. Too many of the wrong people are among the ranks now. The public is starting to turn on Overwatch. It’s only a matter of time before something happens that takes all of us down with it-_ '

“You don’t have to stay, Malik.” He interrupted, “You’re allowed to leave. No one would blame you. You could leave and start a life somewhere quiet, find a job that won’t cost you your life. You have a family now. You don’t have to go down with the ship.”

Sighing, Malik was quiet for a few minutes, nursing his coffee and avoiding Reyes’ eyes. He knew what Malik’s answer would be already, but part of him hoped Malik would  _ listen _ . 

' _Go where?'_ Malik questioned, finally looking at Reyes, _'find Mikael?_ Why, _he didn’t care enough to tell_ _ me  _ of _all people, he was leaving, when he left me in the middle of the night while we were sleeping with no explanation?. Go home? I don’t have one to go to. No one would give me a job, no one else wants me. Where could I live where I didn’t have to constantly run. I can’t safely settle down with my family until Talon is gone- not that they would even want me in their lives, family or not. No matter what I’ve done- no matter how many lives I’ve saved or good I’ve done here in Blackwatch- the world will always see me as a criminal. I was only offered this job instead of jail because they knew I would die here. And that’s what I will do. I don’t want to die on the run, abandoning ship to save my own skin. I helped build this ship, I deserve to go down with it._ '

“Why do you care what O’Deorain does, then?”

Malik sighed, running his fingers through his afro tiredly.

' _Because I have morals, a conscious, however dubious and grey. Gods know I’m a horrible person, but I was still raised to be a Buddhist. All I wanted in life was to prevent people from having to go through what I went through. To prevent that suffering. That’s all I want, Gabí. And_ letting _her in here. You’re just_ _ inviting  _ _something like SEP and Apotheoun to happen again. Is the suffering you and I went through not enough to make you see? What about Kallista? I thought you were horrified when you found out she had been given SEP treatment? Did that not mean anything to you?_ '

“Ramos-” Reyes warned, and Malik just scoffed.

' _Yes, I’m going there, because you need to realize that your actions have consequences and you’re putting all of us- Kallista included- at risk._ '

“ **You don’t have to stay,** ” 

Malik sighed again, looking out on the horizon, face expressionless. After a moment, he un-parked his wheelchair, turning to face Reyes.

' _I thought by now you would know that death doesn’t scare me. If it takes me dying to prove my point and save everyone, I’ll do it. If you want me to leave you’ll have to fire me and turn me over to the hands of the UN so they can decide how to deal with an international terrorist, hacker, and black ops agent. I’m sure that fate is just as kind as the one I’ll meet here, and you won’t have to watch it happen in person._ '

With that, Malik turned and wheeled away, leaving Reyes alone on the transport pad.


End file.
